Latham Dominates Private Credit Market in H1 2026
Latham & Watkins ranked #1 across key US and Europe private credit categories in KBRA DLD’s H1 2026 direct lending league tables, advising on more combined buyside, sellside, and lender-side transactions than any other law firm on both sides of the Atlantic. The firm far outpaced all other firms, advising on 131 combined deals in the US — nearly 46% ahead of the next-closest firm — and 25 in Europe, nearly double the second-ranked adviser. These results reinforce Latham’s position at the center of the global private credit ecosystem, trusted by lenders, funds, credit platforms, investment managers, and borrowers for the most complex financings.
Select KBRA DLD H1 2026 rankings include:
United States
#1 US Direct Lending Legal Adviser — Combined Buyside, Sellside & Lender Counsel by Deal Count
#1 US Direct Lending Legal Adviser — Lender Counsel by Deal Count
Latham advised on 131 combined US direct lending transactions in H1 2026, including 93 lender-side deals representing greater than 50% market share among the top five firms, and the firm advised on more than five times as many combined deals as the fourth-ranked adviser.
Europe
#1 Europe Direct Lending Legal Adviser — Combined Buyside, Sellside & Lender Counsel by Deal Count
#1 Europe Direct Lending Legal Adviser — Lender Counsel by Deal Count
#1 Europe Direct Lending Legal Adviser — Sellside Counsel by Deal Count
Latham’s commanding lender-side position and top ranking on sellside transactions placed the firm at nearly double the combined deal count of the second ranked firm, underscoring the breadth of Latham’s coverage across the European private credit market.
Latham’s Banking & Private Credit Practice is a core part of the firm’s Capital Strategies group, encompassing our elite practices in banking and finance, capital markets, hybrid capital, liability management, private credit, restructuring, and structured finance. We empower our clients to make business decisions with the deepest real-time market intelligence and unrivaled insight across products, structures, and deal opportunities. Latham advises on the highest volume of transactions across each segment of the capital structure by a wide margin and has broader relationships across the public and private markets than any other law firm. We use our scale to deliver unparalleled perspective and a competitive advantage to our clients.